I agree field dressing is a messy task, I have'nt field dressed a deer or elk for at least 6yrs. When an animal is down I simply take off head and rack, for ease of manuvering animal, then pull back hide on one side remove front and hindquarter then remove backstap and tenderloin at same time at this time I also take any additional meat off ribs etc. I roll animal over on layed out skinned side of animal and repeat process. Deer takes about 35min to do, elk takes less than an hour. I like the heart, so I make small incision and remove it. Job is done, meat is very clean and in meat bags which I always carry. No hatchet is necessary but I do use small pack saw to cut through bone on neck. All you need is a knife for everything else. No gutting necessary. For those of you worried about coyotes etc. this may not work for you. But it is a slick way to take care of an animal and leave the mess in the woods. elknut1.

www.elknut.com
Bugling Bulls & Beyond!